"In 2025, the whole Ivory Coast without exception will be 100% electrified," declared Allassane Dramane Ouattara (ADO), President of Ivory Coast also president in office of the conference of heads of state of WAEMU on Wednesday in Lome at the opening of the forum marking the 45 years of the West African Development Bank (BOAD).

From the beginning, he reminded that his country exports electricity to six countries of the union and soon eight (8). These are Togo, Ghana, Benin, Mali, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, and soon Guinea and Liberia.

"Our energy capacity increased by more than 50% since 2011 and we are at 2250 Mgwatt of production and the objective remains 4000Mgw in 2030," he said adding that his country is committed to achieving the energy mix of 42% renewable energy (solar) by 2030.

Here is what may be replicated in the other States

To make electricity accessible for all Ivoirians, a program called electricity for all was launched with the aim of enabling low-income people to have electricity at home.

"In Ivory Coast, the problem is at the level of the connection which costs 150 thousand Fr. CFA and we set up a system with a contribution of 1000 CFA. The beneficiaries of the program to have a subscription and a connection to the power grid will have to pay 1000 Fr each month, or 12.000 Fr per year over a period of 10 years," he revealed.

"To date, the program has 400,000 beneficiaries and the goal is to reach more than one million beneficiaries over the next 3 years," he continued. He also added that his government is committed to electrify all the villages of more than 500 thousand inhabitants by the end of 2019.

"Ivory Coast is one of the top 10 countries in the World Bank’s Doing Business and rated by Mo Ibrahim Foundation as the country that has made the most reforms in the last 5 years," congratulated president ADO.

Committing to fully support the bank in the search for financial instruments for renewable energies, he welcomed the positive balance sheet of BOAD under Christian Adovelande.Since its creation in 1973, BOAD has supported the development of the member States by financing 1107 projects amounting to 4915 billion CFA.